LABOUR PROBLEMS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 November 1922, Page 8

LABOUR PROBLEMS.

THE MIND OF THE WORKER

REMEDIES FOR DISCONTENT

The Literary Digest for September contains an interesting article on "The Mind of the Worker," from, which some extracts are here given. "A most valuable asset to the community is the worker's mind, but it is clogged by our industrial methods, by machine production, sped up to the limit, giving the worker no time to think and allowing him nothing to think about. If he i& dull, he becomes still duller; if he is byight,, his mind will indulge in imaginative flights and fantastic reasoning. These two types in contact are sure to start an industrial conflagration. Hence strikes are regarded as not> so much .attempts to redress grievances as:Jbhe result of forces engendered by the hurried mai-chine-made industrial system. The remedy is believed to be in an education which must be at once moral, social and civic, as well as purely intellectual. "Modern industry is characterised by automatic processes, production on a large scale, and at high speed. Being paid by quantity the worker concentrates upon speed. Pay is the greatest of all incentives, and his interest in the work becomes adventitious. The modern worker is called upon to make very little effort, as his share in, the industrial processes. He is himself, in many cases, rapidly becoming a part of the machine he manages. Unskilled work is increasing, arid with it the number of uneducated, inex- , perienced labourers. , j "The worker with the active mind ! will influence his brother of the.duller j intellect. He will agitate, harangue, ! and disturb his fellow-workers. He | will organise them into groups, factions, and cliques. This state of affairs is aggravated by two other great characteristics of modern industry— subdivision of labour with its intense specialisation, and monotony. The mind of the modern worTEer is occupied with dull, stupefying, monotonous routine. Is it any wonder,. then, that! he is subject to great nervous strain, and is easily led into discontent? "Why do workers strike?. We must search for the answer in present industrial conditions. Automatic, monotonous, high-tensioned, rapidly moving, the work of to-day leayes the mind of the worker idle.' He: has' no interest in his work. It is not required. The work itself demands little experience and less education. "What must be done? First, the ; mind of the. modern worker must I cease to be idle and vacant. Secondly, j every worker should be ambitious. The ! world owes nobody a living! Promotion comes only through effort. "The mind of the worker, too, is ■ filled with resentment at haphazard ■methods of promotion. Does the employment manager know his business? Can he analyse the qualifications of applicants? For\here lies the root of the whole evil—maladjustment of individuals. Much can be done by the . employment manager in approaching ! this ideal; and in doing so, much, will j be done to allay individual unrest.and ito promote efficiency. Is the mind of the worker in a healthy body? There ! should be education for healthy living, , as well as the necessary technical edui cation i "Education, in the last analysis/is the, answer to all modern Labour prob- : lems. Educate the worker morally, I that he may live more sanely; that he may realise his duties and obligations, and that he may lead a clean, wholel--some and upright life. Educate him socially, in order that he may take Hs proper place in the community. Arouse I his civic consciousness; interest him to ,; the point of participation in the af- ; fairs of the city, State, and nation, j that he may know not only his rights, j but his obligations as a citizen. He ; is the Government, and when he real- , ises this, he will not say: 'This coun- ] try is ruled by capitalists. The social structure is all wrong. The Courts , are only for the wealthy. Our Government must be changed.' 1 "What of the worker's leisure? How does the modern worker spend his spare time ? Monotony, high speed, and mechanical work cause the worker to lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Many a worker arises, performs his ablutions, eats his three meals a day, works during the day, quits at the sound of the whistle, and goes home to sleep. His mind has become clogged. His body is weary. Educate the worker to use his leisure intelligently. "The mind of the worker is a most valuable asset to the community. Skilful employment management, improved industrial conditions, vocational guidance, technical education, and continuous education in the fundamentals of our school subjects and customs, manners, and institutions must be the final solution to present ills. We do not live to work; we work to live." i .

The daily make of butter at the Levin factory has now reached four tons. The amount of milk handled to .produce this amount is 20,000 gallons, 'the procfuct of approximately 7000 cows. The number of suppliers is 380, whose herds vary in size from the modest single unit to a herd of over 100. The value of the industry, saya the Chronicle, to the district can be judged by the fact that the daily make at the uresent market realises in the vicinity "of £800.